The 1930s

the thirties

1930s

MARION BOYD CROCKETT ’32 AND MEMBERS OF THE VIRGINIA LAW REVIEW, 1932 T he matriculation of white women at the Law School remained gradual from the 1920s to the 1950s. Women comprised only a few students in each graduating class. The admission requirement that all prospective women students earn a B.A. prior to entering law school, which was applied to men as well in 1922, resulted in a small pool of eligible female applicants.

Those women who did attend faced a male-dominated culture, which remained entrenched despite small but significant victories. In 1931, Marion Boyd Crockett ’32 became the first woman elected to the Virginia Law Review editorial board. In a diary entry following a dinner with Law Review members, Dean William Minor Lile said of Crockett’s election: “This year, for the first time in its history, the Board has a woman member (Miss Crockett)…. That she should have earned this honor in her second year is much to her credit.” Crockett graduated in 1932 and went on to work in New York City at the civil liberties firm Engelhard, Pollak, Pitcher & Stern, well known at the time for its work on behalf of the Scottsboro defendants.

MARY ELIZABETH SWAIN GILMER ’29, a William & Mary grad who began her studies at UVA Law in 1926, found herself in a “sea of males.” She considered male law students cordial, but still asked for advice from the dean of women regarding how to navigate a maledominated environment. On one occasion, her criminal law professor singled her out in class and asked that she “recite the elements of rape.” The request shocked Gilmer, and her male classmates stomped their feet in approval after she correctly responded. Gilmer was eventually admitted to the Illinois State Bar.

MARGARET CARTER HOYT ’37 had always dreamed of becoming a lawyer and began her studies at Virginia Law in 1934. A member of the Virginia Law Review and top student, Hoyt enjoyed her time at UVA and noted that, while a few of her male colleagues were “amused” by her presence, everyone got along. Her interactions with male faculty were mixed. One professor insisted on referring to her as a man because he “hated women attorneys.” After law school, Hoyt qualified to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and worked as an attorney for the Rural Electrification Association.

MARIANNE BELL McCONNAUGHEY ’37 sought a law clerkship position after earning her degree. She recalled being welcomed by her peers but rejected on the job market. While she was offered many secretarial jobs, the male attorneys she encountered would not consider hiring a female lawyer. McConnaughey held several government positions during her career before becoming staff attorney for and eventually a member of the Board of Immigration Appeals.